Battle of the Coral Sea – 1942

Battle of the Coral Sea

May 4-8, 1942 – US and Australian naval forces intercept a Japanese invasion fleet which is planning to capture Port Moresby in New Guinea.

The loss of Port Moresby would have made the entire north of Australia vulnerable to attack and would have secured Japanese gains in the South Pacific.

The Battle of the Coral Sea is the first naval battle in history when the opposing fleets never sight each other, with all the attacks carried out by bombers and torpedo planes launched from aircraft carriers.

Although a tactical victory for the Japanese in terms of the number of ships sunk, the battle is a strategic disaster, forcing them to abandon their plans to invade Port Moresby from the sea (leading directly to the Kokoda Campaign) and denying them the use of two vital fleet carriers at the pivotal Battle of Midway the following month.